Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers an extraordinary performance profile in Doom, one that is defined by the GPU's massive headroom and the CPU's ability to feed it. The data set shows a configuration that ranks 17th out of 2930 tested combos, placing it in the top 1% of all pairings. This is a system built for extreme frame rates, and the measured results confirm that it delivers, though the balance of power shifts dramatically depending on resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling across resolutions reveals a clear and predictable pattern: the RTX 5090 D is the dominant force at 1080p and 1440p, while the transition to 4K begins to stress the GPU more heavily. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 357 FPS. Moving to 1440p High reduces that to 231 FPS, a 35% drop. Stepping up to 4K High yields 125 FPS, which is a further 46% decline from 1440p. This scaling curve is steep, indicating that the GPU is still the primary bottleneck at 4K, but the sheer performance of the RTX 5090 D keeps the experience fluid.

The Low settings preset tells a similar story. At 1080p Low, the system hits 462 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 314 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 170 FPS. The percentage drops are 32% and 46% respectively, mirroring the High preset's scaling. This consistency suggests that the game's engine scales predictably with resolution, and the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth are more than sufficient at every step. The data shows no signs of a CPU limitation at lower resolutions; the Ultra 5 225's 4.90 GHz boost clock and 10 cores are keeping up with the GPU's output.

The most telling data point for bottleneck analysis is the gap between Low and Ultra settings. At 1080p, the difference between Low (462 FPS) and Ultra (292 FPS) is 170 FPS, a 37% reduction. At 1440p, the gap is 125 FPS (314 to 189). At 4K, the gap narrows to 68 FPS (170 to 102). This shrinking delta as resolution increases confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor; at 4K, the pixel-pushing workload dominates, and the CPU's role diminishes. The 4K Ultra result of 102 FPS still clears the 100 FPS mark, which is impressive for a 2016 title running at maximum settings on modern hardware.

The data indicates that this combo is GPU-bound in all tested scenarios, but the margin tightens at 4K. The RTX 5090 D's raw compute power, evidenced by its 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance, is the star of the show. The Core Ultra 5 225, while not a top-tier CPU by benchmark scores, provides enough single-thread performance—evidenced by its 3655 Cinebench R23 single-core score—to avoid becoming a constraint. The result is a system that scales almost linearly with resolution until the GPU's limits are reached.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Doom?*

A: The highest recorded average frame rate is 462 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This represents the absolute ceiling for this pairing in the measured data.

*Q: How does the combo rank against other tested configurations in Doom?*

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 17th out of 2930 tested combos for this game. This places it in the top 0.6% of all configurations, indicating elite-level performance.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops from 314 FPS on Low to 189 FPS on Ultra. This is a difference of 125 FPS, representing a 40% reduction in performance when moving to the highest quality preset.

*Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 1080p in Doom?*

A: The data suggests no significant CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 462 FPS, and at 1080p High it achieves 357 FPS. These high frame rates indicate that the Core Ultra 5 225's 10 cores and 4.90 GHz boost clock are sufficient to keep the RTX 5090 D well-fed.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The only min FPS values recorded are for the Medium settings preset. At 4K Medium, the min FPS is 126; at 1440p Medium, it is 232; and at 1080p Medium, it is 359. No min FPS data is available for other presets.

Q: How does the GPU's benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, scores 76904, which is 1.1% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940, which is 1.6% higher than the RTX 5090 D.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieves a rank of 17 out of 2930 tested configurations in Doom. This is a stellar result, placing the system in the 99.4th percentile of all combos. The ranking reflects not just the GPU's dominance but also the CPU's ability to support it. The Core Ultra 5 225 sits in the 85th percentile for all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36938. This puts it in close competition with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which scores 36945 (a 0% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, which scores 37018 (a -0.2% delta).

The GPU's ranking is even more impressive on a standalone basis. The RTX 5090 D is in the 92nd percentile for all GPUs, with an average score of 77712. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76904, +1.1% for the RTX 5090 D) and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940, -1.6% for the RTX 5090 D). The fact that this GPU is being compared to mobile parts in the benchmark database highlights its positioning; the RTX 5090 D is a desktop flagship that outclasses most of the field.

In the context of Doom specifically, the 17th place ranking is notable because the game is from 2016 and is known for its scalability. The combo's high rank suggests that the RTX 5090 D's architecture, with 21760 shading units and 680 TMUs, is exceptionally well-suited to the id Tech 6 engine. The Core Ultra 5 225, while not the fastest CPU on the market, provides enough compute headroom to avoid dragging down the GPU's performance. The result is a top-20 finish in a field of nearly 3000 combos.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data covers three resolutions and four quality presets, providing a comprehensive view of the combo's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. The Low preset achieves an average of 462 FPS, Medium hits 422 FPS (with a min of 359 and max of 486), High reaches 357 FPS, and Ultra produces 292 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 37% reduction, which is the largest relative drop across all resolutions, indicating that the CPU is still contributing to performance at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain extremely high. Low settings deliver 314 FPS, Medium averages 273 FPS (min 232, max 314), High hits 231 FPS, and Ultra dips to 189 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 40%, which is slightly larger than at 1080p. This suggests that the GPU is starting to work harder, but the RTX 5090 D's 512-bit memory bus and 32 GB of GDDR7 VRAM are more than adequate for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload becomes the defining factor. Low settings still produce a robust 170 FPS, Medium averages 148 FPS (min 126, max 170), High delivers 125 FPS, and Ultra falls to 102 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra drop is 40%, consistent with the 1440p scaling. The 4K Ultra result of 102 FPS is particularly noteworthy; it shows that even the most demanding preset in this game is playable at 4K on this hardware, with no apparent CPU limitation.

The Medium preset rows provide the only min/max data in the set. At 1080p, the variance is 127 FPS (359 to 486). At 1440p, the variance is 82 FPS (232 to 314). At 4K, the variance is 44 FPS (126 to 170). This narrowing variance at higher resolutions further confirms that the GPU is the primary performance limiter at 4K, while the CPU has more influence at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's display and preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity. For 1080p users with high refresh rate monitors, the High preset at 357 FPS is the sweet spot. It offers a significant visual upgrade over Low (462 FPS) while still maintaining a frame rate that exceeds any current display's refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 292 FPS is also viable, but the 65 FPS difference between High and Ultra is a substantial cost for marginal visual gains.

For 1440p, the High preset at 231 FPS is the recommended choice. It provides a balanced experience that is smooth on any monitor, including 240Hz panels. The Medium preset at 273 FPS is an alternative for those who prioritize maximum frame rates, but the jump to High is worth the 42 FPS reduction for better image quality. The Ultra preset at 189 FPS is still excellent, but it begins to approach the lower limit for competitive play on high-refresh displays.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 148 FPS is the best overall recommendation. It delivers a frame rate that is well above 120 FPS, which is the target for many high-end displays, while providing a solid visual experience. The High preset at 125 FPS is also a strong choice, offering better visuals at a still-very-smooth frame rate. The Ultra preset at 102 FPS is playable, but the 46 FPS gap between Ultra and Medium at 4K makes Medium the more sensible choice for maintaining a high refresh rate. The Low preset at 170 FPS is only recommended for esports-focused players who want the absolute maximum frame rate and are willing to sacrifice visual fidelity.

The data shows that the combo has enough headroom at all resolutions to prioritize visual quality without dropping below 100 FPS. The only scenario where a user might feel constrained is 4K Ultra, where the frame rate dips to 102 FPS, but this is still a playable experience for a single-player title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with 20 MB of shared L3 cache. In the context of Doom, a game that is predominantly GPU-bound at high resolutions, the CPU's role is to feed the RTX 5090 D with enough data to keep it saturated. The benchmark results indicate that it does this effectively.

The CPU's single-thread performance is strong, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655. This is important for Doom, which relies on a single main thread for game logic. The multi-core score of 25891 in Cinebench R23 shows that the 10 cores are capable of handling background tasks without interfering with the main game thread. The Passmark single-thread score of 4412 further reinforces the CPU's ability to handle the game's primary thread efficiently.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Ultra 5 225 is positioned in the middle of the pack. Its average benchmark score of 36938 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945), and it is only 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018). This indicates that the CPU is competitive with mid-range options from the previous generation, but it is not a top-tier part. However, in Doom, this level of performance is sufficient. The measured FPS data shows no evidence of a CPU bottleneck, even at 1080p where frame rates exceed 450 FPS.

The CPU's 10 threads, rather than 20, are worth noting. Many modern CPUs offer simultaneous multithreading, but the Ultra 5 225 does not. This is not a problem in Doom, as the game is not heavily multi-threaded. The 10 physical cores are more than enough to handle the game's demands, and the lack of SMT helps keep power consumption and thermals in check. The 65W TDP is modest for a desktop CPU, and the 3nm process node from TSMC ensures efficient operation.

The data suggests that the Ultra 5 225 is a capable partner for the RTX 5090 D in Doom. It does not contribute to any performance ceiling in the measured scenarios, and its lower cost relative to other CPUs allows for a more balanced system build. The combo's 17th place ranking reflects the synergy between these two components, with the CPU providing enough compute power to unlock the GPU's full potential.